agent. You’re an agent. We took an oath to serve and protect. That includes everybody, you and me. We carry the same shield. You want to catch whoever hurt you and abducted your sister. That’s a federal crime. That’s what I do for a living. That’s why I’m here. No other reason than that since I delivered my apology.”
She studied him with the intensity of a mass spectrometer. “I think you really have changed.”
“We all change, Atlee. For better or worse. Right up until the moment we get dropped in a hole six feet down.”
Chapter 35
BLUM TOLD PINE she was not going to lecture her about that previous night, and then she proceeded to do just that. When she’d finished venting, Pine said, “Do you feel better?”
“Not really. How about you?”
“Not really.”
“How’s your head?”
“The bruising is already starting to subside.”
They were once more sitting in the breakfast room at the Cottage. Pine had gotten about five hours’ worth of deep sleep, showered and changed, and had some lunch that did not sit well in her belly, because it was churning with a lot of stuff.
She had filled Blum in on her trip to the cemetery and her hunches about the positioning of the body over one particular grave.
Blum was drinking a cup of hot tea as she studied her boss.
“What happened after I left you last night?” asked Pine. “I saw Wallis and Laredo at the police station this morning, but we didn’t talk about the case.”
“I decided to circle back to the Clink. Found out some info from Wallis.” She proceeded to tell Pine about Layne Gillespie being identified and his military background.
“Discharged but not under honorable conditions,” said Pine thoughtfully. “Any ideas?”
“I didn’t have any, which is why I called my son, the MP. He had some ideas.”
“Such as?”
“Gillespie did something that the brass didn’t like, but it was also something they didn’t want to make a fuss about. Solution, the general discharge not under honorable conditions. The Army gets to kick him out without any honor, but doesn’t do so in a way that will necessarily hurt his ability to move on with his life. Only other military folks would understand the nuance. And I doubt Gillespie was itching to reenlist in another branch.”
“I wonder what those conditions could have been?” said Pine.
“Could be quite a few.”
“Your son have any ideas?”
“He called me back and said he thought it would be something personal to Gillespie. If it were related to his service record it would be more cut-and-dried.”
“I appreciate his doing that. And I appreciate your asking. I…uh, you told me you don’t have the greatest relationship with your kids.”
Blum’s smile was tinged with a bit of melancholy. “As time goes on, it’s actually getting better. I think they understand now that their dad was not this shining example of a human being and that I did the best that I could with the hand I was dealt.” She paused. “But I bear a lot of the responsibility. I married him, after all.”
Pine smiled. “I always admire how you never dodge the bullet, Carol.”
“It’s not worth doing. Eventually, it will hit its target anyway.”
“Savannah, huh?”
“Yes.”
“Wallis wants to go there?”
“That’s what he said.”
“When?”
“Whenever you’re ready.”
“I’m ready now.”
“I thought you would be, which is why I phoned him and he’s on his way over now.”
Blum gave Pine a look that gave her pause. “Yes?” she said to her assistant.
“Wallis told me that you and Laredo went to breakfast this morning.”
“We did.”
“How did that go?”
“It went okay, believe it or not.”
“Did the air get cleared?”
“Is that what you think the issue was?”
“I don’t know. I’m shooting somewhat blind here.”
“Wallis mentioned to me that it seemed complicated, and I didn’t disagree with him.”
“Okay.”
“So it is complicated, Carol. That’s as far as I’m going.”
“And he’s here just to work the case?”
“He did say that he would be willing to help me on my sister’s case.”
“And you’re okay with that?”
“He’s an experienced criminal investigator. I can use all the help I can get. When will Wallis get here?”
“About ten minutes. Agent Laredo will be with him.”
“As he should be. He’s the field agent on this.”
“And your sister’s case? I mean, with Agent Laredo here, you could focus on that. Detective Wallis has the weight of the Bureau behind him now.”
“Do you want to stop working this case?”
“It’s not up to me. I came here to support you. I just don’t want you to fill your plate up so much, you get disappointed one